With the Grammy’s on the way, there are multiple obvious candidates for many groups, with Taylor Swift and Beyoncé dominating most of them. But a certain rapper has captured the hearts of the internet. Jaylah Ji’mya Hickmon, on stage known as Doechii, started her career in 2018, her discography containing two albums, three EPs, and twenty-three singles, with 2 Grammy nominations under her belt.
She, much like most artists this century, was recognized via social media. Doechii was first acclaimed in 2021, a year after the release of her EP “Oh The Places You’ll Go” in 2020. She gained widespread recognition when her song “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” went viral on TikTok. One could call the platform a saving grace for her, as in 2023, her single “What It Is (Block Boy)” featuring Kodak Black blew up on TikTok once again and was later acknowledged as a viral hit as it was her first time entering the Billboard Hot 100. The song also received platinum from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Doechii was awarded the Rising Star Award from Billboard Women in Music in 2023 and has received nominations for two MTV Video Music Awards, a BET Award, and two Soul Train Music Awards, along with the aforementioned Grammy’s.
As many know, the beloved Tyler, The Creator released “CHROMAKOPIA” earlier this year. As his music has matured over the years so has his taste in features, and among the limited 14 tracks, Doechii was featured on “Balloon”. The song came on after his emotional and vulnerable telling of “Like Him”, providing a distinct feeling of whiplash within the album. Although “Balloon” had an abundance of mixed feelings about the song itself, sound and lyric-wise, the duo’s performance of it at Camp Flog Gnaw in 2024 had the internet in a chokehold. It rose as one of Doechii’s most recognized songs with over 63 million streams.
Tyler, The Creator’s appreciation for Doechii’s art also helped boost her fame, as more and more of her songs began to be recognized on her 2024 album “Alligator Bites Never Heal”. Her biggest songs on the album, “NISSAN ALTIMA” and “DENIAL IS A RIVER” are further proof of her excellent boost in fame, becoming stepping stones for her career as she is currently in the top 500 artists in the world, according to Spotify’s statistics.
Doechii’s music has connected to many people online, from dancers creating routines to her songs to people who are just enthusiastic about her wordplay. With her growing presence, there’s no denying that, as she says in her #1 hit “DENIAL IS A RIVER”, the charts need her.
